When it comes to picking the best computer monitors on the market, features, value, and screen size all come into play. There are dozens of brands and models to pick from, and when it comes to displays, you often get what you pay for. Even so, when we asked you earlier last week to nominate the monitors you thought were the best, you offered up some great contenders. We counted your votes, and then looked at the five best computer monitors overall, and put them to a vote. Now we're back to highlight the winner.

Upgrading your computer's hardware isn't the only way to feel like you have a new…
Read more Read more

Apple fans turned out the vote for their pick: The Apple Thunderbolt 27" Display took the top spot, but only barely with close to 32% of the votes cast. Its limited compatibility and high price didn't stop those of you who votes for it based on its panel quality and excellent colors.

In second place with close to 20% of the overall vote was the Dell UltraSharp U3011 30" Display, the most expensive in our lineup, but also the one with the most inputs and overall features. Third place was where the battle was really fought—the difference between third and fourth was a mere six votes. The Yamakasi Catleap and its Korean contemporaries took the third place slot with 17.22% of the vote. Admittedly, these were my favorites—the fact that you can get the same glass as the bigger names use in their displays for a fraction of the cost (even if you sacrifice support and inputs in the process) makes them a compelling buy. Just behind in fourth place with 17.13% of the vote was the Dell UltraSharp U2410 24" Display, a fantastic 24-inch panel that's very frequently on sale. Bringing up the rear in fifth with 14% of the votes cast was the ASUS PB278Q 27" Display, Asus's flagship 27 incher.

The Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it's not because we hate it—it's because it didn't get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it's a bit of a popularity contest, but if you have a favorite, we want to hear about it. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at tips+hivefive@lifehacker.com!